Entertainment Options

In addition to the cultural and recreation amenities housed in the Sunrise Civic Center Complex, the City is home to numerous entertainment options. Our local offerings include:

BankAtlantic Center
The Oasis
Wannado City
Sunrise Symphonic Pops

BankAtlantic Center
Sunrise is the site of the BankAtlantic Center, a 20,000+-seat, $225 million multi-purpose venue. This world-class facility - second in size only to Chicago's United Center - hosts more than 100 major entertainment events annually.

The BankAtlantic Center is also the home of the National Hockey League's Florida Panthers - and was the site of the 2003 NHL All-Star Game and Weekend. Panthers games are televised locally on Fox Sports Net. Since opening in 1998, the Center has hosted such stars as Celine Dion, Luciano Pavarotti, Andrea Bocelli, the Eagles, Madonna, the Rolling Stones, Cher, Billy Joel, Barbra Streisand, the Bee Gees, Eric Clapton, Phil Collins, Elton John and Paul McCartney. The facility has also hosted President George W. Bush and former President Bill Clinton.

The BankAtlantic Center is recognized as one of the top entertainment venues in the world. It was ranked 16th in the United States in total concert ticket sales for the first half of 2007, according to trade publication PollStar.

This ranking placed the BankAtlantic Center ahead of such renowned U.S. entertainment facilities as the Continental Airlines Arena (East Rutherford, N.J.), the Pepsi Center (Denver, Colo.), the T.D. Banknorth Garden (Boston, Mass.), and the Rose Garden Arena (Portland, Ore.). The BankAtlantic Center was also recently selected by Facilities & Event Management magazine as a Prime Site Award winner. The Prime Site Award is based on the opinions of booking agents, promoters, talent buyers and event planners.

These accolades allow the BankAtlantic Center to attract some of the world's most renowned entertainers, such as Luciano Pavarotti, whose recent Sunrise show was one of only three perfomances in the United States.

For a complete listing of upcoming games and shows, please check the BankAtlantic Center tab on the City's Interactive Calendar.

The Center features a heliport, 74 private suites - which are the largest of any arena in the U.S. - and three function rooms for meetings and events. The center also houses four luxurious clubs:

The Patron Tequila Platinum Club is a popular place for pre-event drinking and dining. Open 90 minutes before shows and accessible only to premium ticketholders, the Club offers a full-service bar and an a la carte menu. The Patron Tequila Platinum Club is also open
prior to and throughout Florida Panthers games, which are shown on state-of-the-art plasma televisions.

The Chairman's Club serves dinner to premium seat patrons before and during Florida Panthers hockey games. Located on the Suite Level, the Club measures 9,000 square feet.

The BankAtlantic Center's most exclusive club - the ATD Private Club - is the ultimate luxurious entertainment and sports option in South Florida. Membership in the "all inclusive" club is limited to 500 seats and offers VIP access to every event at the BankAtlantic Center, including all Panthers regular-season home games, as well as concerts and shows that visit the center. Located on the Lexus Club Level, the elite club features food and beverage services, VIP parking, business and concierge services, private restrooms, business lounge, cigar deck, business center and other amenities. The annual cost for a membership ranges from $7,000 to $8,000 per seat, depending on the length of the contract.

The Center's newest upscale addition, the Captain's Club, opened in September 2006 - just in time for the NHL season. The Club caters to only 500 members, and is accessible during all Florida Panthers home games. Located on the Sunset Terrace and encompassing approximately 12,000 square feet, the Club offers a variety of amenities, including special seating, a full-service bar and buffet, and tremendous sightlines for hockey.

In addition, the Center's atrium is the site of a lively drinking establishment open to the public:

The Budweiser Terrace is approximately 6,000 square feet in size and has a capacity of 383 guests. Located one floor above the Center's main entrance, it's the perfect spot for people-watching - and is also available for cocktail receptions and small parties.

Stanley's Sports Bar, located on the Lexus Club Level, is the Center's largest function space. Stanley's is 10,000 square feet in size and holds up to 990 guests, offering views of the Center's Event Level, as well as the Everglades.

Opened in October 2005, the 3,000-seat Sinatra Theatre offers an intimate setting within the BankAtlantic Center for internationally-known artists and comedy acts as well as children's shows and off-broadway plays.

The new theatre adds an additional 25 shows to the venue's roster each year, including 15 shows that are offered on a season series subscription basis from September through May. The recently completed inaugural season included legendary acts such as Frank Sinatra, Jr., Bill Cosby, Natalie Cole, Wynonna Judd, Julio Iglesias, Donna Summer, Linda Ronstadt, Patti Labelle, The Beach Boys, Johnny Mathis and Kenny Rogers.

Wannado City
Wannado City, an extraordinary new experience for children, opened in August 2004 in Sunrise. This $40+ million, 140,000+ square-foot indoor recreation enterprise is the first interactive environment of its kind in the United States.

Wannado City enables kids age four to eleven to role-play as many as 250 careers, including lawyer, TV anchor, doctor, firefighter, banker, pilot and police officer. This innovative concept promotes the values of hard work and responsibility in an atmosphere that's fun and entertaining.

Children can also gain an understanding of money management techniques by deciding how to spend the "income" they earn at these jobs - choosing from such grown-up options as buying groceries, saving for a rainy day or going to the dance club.

Wannado City's Sawgrass Mills location is the first phase of a nationally planned rollout under a strategic partnership between Wannado Entertainment and The Mills Corporation.

Take an online visit to Wannado City, where kids can do what they want to do.

The Oasis
The Oasis at Sawgrass Mills is an exciting destination, day or night - with 330,000 square feet of entertainment, dining and more. If you're looking for a cool spot to relax, enjoy a thick milkshake at Cheeburger Cheeburger, or peruse the menu of specialty drinks at Coco Reef. For those actively in pursuit of fun, there's Steven Spielberg's GameWorks - a high-tech entertainment experience - as well as The Billiard Club. You can also take in the latest Hollywood hits at the 23-screen Regal Cinemas.


Sunrise Symphonic Pops Orchestra
The City boasts its own 65-member professional symphony - the Sunrise Symphonic Pops Orchestra. This independent cultural gem, founded in 1987, conducts its highly anticipated concert season from October through May. For ticket information, please call (954) 747-4600.